Vacuum cleaner nozzle



1950 J. J. UBER 2,517,058

' VACUUM CLEANER mzzLE Filed Dec. 3, 1947 um HUI Hm m q 6 J t I Patented Aug. 1, 1950 l.

UNITED STATES PATENTOQFFICE VACUUM CLEANER NozzLE I Jay Uber, westfield Mass. Application December 3, 1947; Serial No'. 789,517

This invention relates to an improved suction nozzle for use with vacuum cleaners. a

While nozzles ofmany different styles and shapes have been devised for use with tank type vacuum cleaners or as special attachments for othertypes of'vacuum cleaners, all are relatively inefficient in picking up dirt embedded at the bottom of a piled rug or carpet. This lack of efliciencyis due chiefly to the lack of sufficient air going into and through the nozzle. Thedeficiency in air supply is due at least in part to the formation of a, seal between the nozzle and the surface being cleaned. The small volume of air pulled through a pile rug by a conventional vacuum cleaner falls far short of the amount needed for thorough cleaning. Even when provision is made for the admission of air at limited sections of the perimeter of the nozzle, as it is insome cases, the'improvement in efficiency is only nominal. The amount of air admitted and the manner of its admission into these modified nozzles still falls far short of accomplishing the desired result. I

The primary'objective of this invention isthe provision of an improved nozzle for vacuum cleaners.

A further object is the construction of a vacuum cleaner nozzle adapted to remove dirt embedded in deep piled rugs or carpets.

A still further object is the elimination of the inconvenience, annoyance and lost time involved in removing frequent accumulations of lint, hair and other dirt from the brush type floor cleaning nozzle.

A perspective view of the arrangement of the various parts of the improved vacuum cleaner nozzle of this invention is shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially in cross section, of the nozzle shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a bottom view of the nozzle shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figures 4 and 5 show a vertical cross-section of the nozzle arrangement with certain parts in different positions.

The invention is described by reference to the attached drawing where like letters indicate the same parts throughout the various figures.

Referring to Figure 1, reference character I shows a hollow member with an elongated nozzle portion at one end and the other end is to be attached to a housing with an enclosed motordriven suction fan or to a flexible hose, which is connected to a vacuum cleaner unit including a motor-driven suction fan and a dust bag. The suction fan, motor and dust bag are not shown in the drawing since they do not form a part of retinas. l (01. 151-369) this invention per'se. ttached to thefront and back of the outside of the elongated nozzle portion are membersxz, which are pivotable on axis 3. A clearance. is maintained betweenthe bottom ofthe nozzleand the pivotablemembers 2 by spacers attached to 'nozzle and shown as 4, which are located between the bottom of. the nozzle and the axis of rotation 3 for members 2. The air is drawn into the nozzle by. the passage defined by the wall of the main body of the elongated portion of nozzle I and the pivotable members 2. .:When the nozzle is moved forward over the surface in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, the forward motion and downward pressure ofthenozzle against the surface to be cleaned causes the members 2 to pivot on axis 3. .The leading member 2 pushes forward the pile 5 of the rug being cleaned, which exposes the deeplyembeddeddirt to a blast of air as well as the dirt lying on the surface of the pile under the nozzle I.. The forward motion of the nozzle against the surface to be cleaned closes the air passage 6 on the trailing side of the nozzle and opens the air passage 6 on the leading side, which.:concentrates theair current at a point where the rug pile 5 is pushed forward and exposes the deeply embedded dirt. As shown in Figure 5, this same action is obtained when the direction of travel of the nozzle is reversed. Air is taken in only at the leading side of the nozzle regardless of the direction of travel.

It will be noted that the pivotable side members 2 extend below the bottom of the main body of the nozzle I so as to contact the surface to be cleaned and prevents the bottom of the main body of the nozzle from contacting the surface to be cleaned. The air is drawn in through the passage 6 defined by the side members 2 and the sides of the elongated portion of nozzle I by a motor driven suction fan (not shown in the drawing). The downward direction of air flow through channel 6 is reversed at the bottom of the nozzle I where it enters the main nozzle portion and causes a turbulence which. loosens the deeply embedded dirt and draws it into the dust bag. As will be readily apparent from Figures 4 and 5, the rug pile 5 is pushed away from the bottom of the leading side of the nozzle I, which prevents the formation of a, partial seal by pile 5 and the bottom of the nozzle I. This is an important feature of the invention.

Materials of construction and means of fabrication have not been discussed, since the principle of the invention could be applied with more or less independence of. these factors. From the foregoing description, it will be readily apparent that my improved nozzle can be used with a tank type vacuum cleaner in which the nozzle is attached to one end of a flexible hose and the other end to a vacuum cleaner unit. It also can be employed for the so-called upright type in which the nozzle is attached to a housing which encloses the motor and suction fan.

A primary advantage of the nozzle produced in accordance with this invention isthe increased;

efficiency and automatic adjustments for the changing of the air intake with change in direction of travel of the cleaning nozzle. A further advantage is that a partial seal is not created by the pile of a rug or other surface being cleaned pressing against the bottom of the nozzle, as in the case of the prior art nozzles. While the nozzle of this invention is adapted. specifically for cleaning piled rugs and carpets, it is just as effective as the prior art nozzles in cleaning smooth H surfaces, such as hardwood floors, linoleums. drapes, upholstery, etc; Since the present invention can. be used effectively on all types;v of floor surfaces and coverings, it eliminates the necessity of having on hand two or more types.-

of vacuum cleaning. equipment.

Not only is the invention useful in cleaning rugs and carpets, but also it can be used. effectively in cleaning relatively smooth hard. surfaced floors. Hence, one nozzle can be used. for all types of floor surfaces. Not only is the. necessity of changing. nozzles eliminated when going from. one type of: floor surface or covering to another, but the present nozzle does notv become clogged. every few minutes with hair, lint, and the like in the manner of the brushtype nozzles ordinarily supplied. for cleaning hard surfacedfloors;

The principle of this invention may also be applied to good effect in the nozzle attachments used in cleaning drapes and: upholstery. Conventional nozzles fail to perform satisfactorily in these applications for the same reason that their prototypesfail to function efiectively in floor andrug cleaning.

While I have: shown and described one, more or:

less, specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for the purpose of illustration only, and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby except as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus nozzle comprising a hollow body with elongated parallel sides, and members mounted on a horizontal pivot on each of, the exterior of said sides in close proximity to said sides to form air passages on each of said sides which close and open as the nozzle is passed back and forth against the surface to be cleaned.

2. A cleaning apparatus nozzle comprising a hollow body with elongated parallel sides, members mounted on a horizontal pivot on each of the exterior of said parallel sides in close proximity to said sides to form air passages on each of said sides which close and open as the nozzle is passed back and forth against the surface to be: cleaned, said members extending below the parallel sidesof. said body so as to contact the surface tovbe. cleaned and provide a clearance between. the bottom of the parallel sides ofv said body and the surface to be cleaned.

JAY J. UBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 965,315 Moorhead July 26, 1910 1,038,383 Jones Sept. 10, 1912 2,153,457 Fechtenburg Apr. 4, 1939 2,157,077 Kroenlein May 2, 1939 2,241,776 Dahl May 13, 1941 2,349,371 Patterson May 23, 1944.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 513 Great Britainv 1914 201,639 Great Britain. Aug. 3, 1923 

